Therapeutical appliance and method of making the same



Feb. 22, 1938. R. w. ALBRIGHT THERAPEUTICAL APPLIANCE AND METHOD OFMAKING THE SAME Filed March 51, 1934 Patented Feb. 22, 1938 PATENTOFFICE THERAPEUTICAL APPLIANCE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Raymond W.Albright, Akron, Ohio, assignor to American Anode, Inc., Akron, Ohio, acorporation of Delaware Application March 31, 1934, Serial No. 718,40213 Claims. (01. lac-399i This invention relates to a therapeuticalappliance especially adapted for application of heat or cold to the eyesand adjacent facial areas of a patient, and to a method of making suchan appliance.

The objects of this invention are to provide an applicator adapted to beplaced over a patients eyes and to be maintained at a desiredtemperature by circulation of heated or cooled water through its hollowinterior; to provide an applicator which may be bound in place over theeyes of a patient without undue discomfort or inconvenience; to providesuch an applicator which shall be capable of distension under internalpressure so that the applicator may accommodate or fit itself to thecurves of the facial areas at and around the eyes and thereby to insureuniform application of heat or cold to the area undergoing treatment; toprovide for limiting distension of the applicator under applied pressureto avoid application of excessive pressure to any portion of the eyes orsurrounding facial areas during treatment; to provide a therapeuticaldevice comprising a pair of somewhat distensible applicators adapted tobe bound in place over the eyes of a patient and having integralrelatively less distensible rubber tubes providing means for directing astream of water continuously through the applicators while they arebound in place over a patients eyes; to provide a therapeuticalappliance of the type described which shall be structurally integral andwhich shall be made entirely of tough latex rubber; and to provide amethod of making such an appliance. 5 The invention in a preferredembodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawingin which Fig. l is an elevation of a form used for making a portion ofthe therapeutical appliance;

' Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the form of Fig.

l in a disassembled condition with a rubber deposit constituting aportion of the appliance being removed from the form;

Fig. 3 is an elevation showing a. form used for making another portionof the appliance.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of a portion of the appliance made upon the formof Fig. 3, after it has been trimmed and is ready for assembly withother constituent portions of the appliance;

Fig. 5 is an elevation partially broken away and sectioned and showingthe finished appliance of my invention.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5. j

The therapeutical appliance of this invention in a preferred formillustrated in Fig. 5 comprises two hollow, thin walled rubberapplicators l0,

In which are substantially flat and generally circular in shape and areof such size that they may be fitted conveniently over a patients eyesto 6 cover completely the eyes and immediately adjacent facial areas.Thin integral webs of rubber H, l I extend from one flat side of theapplicator to the other for a substantial distance, preferably in adirection parallel to a line joining the inlet 10 and outlet fluidconduits to be described hereafter. Communicating with the interiors ofthe two applicators at points upon their peripheries and integrallyjoined to the walls thereof is provided a rubber tube l2 having wallsrelatively l5 heavier and accordingly less distensible than the thinnerwalls of the applicators. The tube l2 preferably is curved and of suchlength as is necessary conveniently and comfortably to bridge a patientsnose when the applicators are in 20 position over his eyes. Connectingfluid conduits, preferably integral rubber tubes l3, l3 communicate withthe interiors of the hollow applicators at points preferably generallyopposite the point of communication of the aforesaid tube 25 I2. Thetubes I3, l3 preferably are made with a right angle turn in the plane ofthe applicators near the point of joinder with the applicators, andshould be sufiiciently long to extend from under a binding holding theapplicators in posi- 30 tion, to be connected to fluid circulatingapparatus. The walls of the tubes l3, l3, like those of the tube. l2,preferably are heavier and less distensible than the walls of theapplicators. Thus, it will be seen that the appliance, which in some 3;.respects resembles a pair of spectacles, may be placed in position overthe eyes of a patient and bound in place in any convenient manner, andthat water or other fluid at a desired temperature may be circulatedcontinuously through the ap- 40 pliance to subject the contiguousbodilytissuesto a controlled uniform temperature, without undue discomfort tothe patient. The water maybe forced through the appliance under pressuresurficient to distend the thin walled applicators 5 slightly and therebyto insure even contact" of the applicator wth the irregular areas overand about the eyes. Distension of the applicator is limited however bythe webs of rubber H, H

joining the two fiat sides of the applicators which 50 serve to preventextreme distension of the applicator which might cause excessivepressure to be exerted upon the eyes, particularly when the appliance isbound tightly in place. In addition, the webs aid in directing flow ofthe water to u pecially for heating water to a' desired temperae outercircumferential portions of the applicator. It is to be understood thatthe webs within the applicators, although highly desirable, are notessential and that an applicator without such webs may be used quitesatisfactorily in the application of hot or cold treatments.

There is now available apparatus designed esture and circulating itunder pressure through an applicator such as the appliance hereinabovedescribed. Obviously, however, any convenient means for providing acontinuous supply'of hot or cold water may be employed in conjunctionwith the present appliance and such auxiliary apparatus forms no part ofthe present invention. The complicated structure of the presentappliance has necessitated the provision of special procedure for itsmanufacture, which is accomplished by depositing rubber from a liquidrubber dispersion upon suitable forms. Two forms are required. The firstform illustrated in Fig. 1 is designed to form one applicator andintegral connecting tube, and comprises a generally fiat and circularapplicator-forming portion 20, preferably having two parallel narrowslots 2|, 2| extending from the periphery of the form inward for adistance corresponding to the length of webs required in the finishedapplicator. A tubular projection 22 having a diameter corresponding tothe desired inner diameter of the connecting tube, is provided upon theperiphery of the form, preferably between the open ends of the two slots2|, 2! and a rod 23 designed to form the connecting tube proper isscrewed into the tubular projection 22 preferably at right angles to theaxis thereof and in the plane of the applicator-forming portion 20. Thesecond required form shown in Fig. 3 is designed to form the short tubewhich connects the two applicators and bridges the nose of a patient,and comprises a curved tubular portion 24 shaped to form the tube, oneend of the form being extended to provide a handle 25 for convenience indipping.

In proceeding with the manufacture of the therapeutical appliance, smallpieces of pearl glue 26, 26, or. other water-soluble coherent solid orequivalent disintegrable material, are wedged in the open ends of theslots 2|, 2| of the form 20, and the entire form is immersed in a liquiddispersion of rubber preferably a compounded latex, until a relativelythin layer of rubber about 0.01

inch thick is deposited upon the form in any usual manner. The form thenis removed from the dispersion and the tube-forming portion 23preferably is re-dipped until the rubber coating thereupon isconsiderably heavier than that upon the rest of the form for exampleabout 0.04 inch thick. The entire rubber coating then is washedthoroughly, during which the glue in the slots is dissolved andcompletely removed. The washed' coating then is dried and partiallyvulcanized to a degree which will permit of considerable stretchingwithout permanently deforming the rubber, but which is not sufilcientlyfar advanced to prevent securing the best possible adhesion between therubber andother parts of the applicator later to be adhered-thereto. Toremove the form from the interior of the rubber, the rod 23 is unscrewedand pulled out, the end of the rubber tube l3 formed thereon, and theapplicator portion I ll of the rubber is slit for a short distance alongthe periphery thereof at a point generally opposite to the point ofcommunication of the connecting tube with the applicator portion, andthe applicator-forming portion 20 of the form is removed through theslit. the rubber being stretched to permit its removal as indicated inFig. 2. The procedure thus far described then is repeated to make asecond'applicator and integral connecting tube identical in structurewiththe first. The second form 24 then is provided with a relativelyheavy coating of rubber of approximately the same thickness as that ofthe connecting tubes l3, and the rubber is washed, dried, and

partially vulcanized as in making the applicators. The rubber then isstripped from the form and is trimmed to provide a nose-bridging tube l2as illustrated in Fig. 4.

To assemble the various parts of the appliance, the ends of the shortnose-bridging tube l2 and the portions of the two applicatorsimmediately surrounding the two slits hereinabove mentioned, are coatedwith a rubber adhesive such as a rubber cement, or latex, and the endsof the tube are inserted into the slits and are pressed into adhesiveengagement with the walls of the applicators.

a broad sense to include all flowable dispersions of rubber and likenatural or synthetic gums or resins, whether the rubber be artificiallydispersed in water, or in an organic solvent, as well as natural laticesof rubber producing plants. The dispersions may be concentrated,diluted, thickened,

thinned, vulcanized or otherwise treated as may 7 be desired, and maycontain any necessary compounding ingredients such as are commonly usedin the manufacture of rubber goods.

Numerous modifications may be made in details of the invention ashereinabove described without departing from the scope of the discoveryas defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rubber article adapted for therapeutical use in treating an area01' a human body, comprising a thin walled and somewhat distensibleclosed hollow rubber bag of relatively large crosssectional areadesigned substantially to cover the area to be treated, an integralrubber web joining two sides of the rubber bag for a substantialdistance in such manner as to limit the distension of the bag, and twoless distensible fluid conduits of relatively small cross-sectional areacommunieating with said bag at generally opposed points in such manneras to direct fluid through the interior thereof from one conduit servingas a fluid inlet to the other conduit serving as a fluid outlet.

2. A therapeutical appliance as defined in claim 1 made substantiallyentirely of latex rubber.

3. A therapeutical appliance of the type described, comprising agenerally fiat and circular thin walled hollow rubber applicator havingasingle fluid-containing chamber of relatively large cross-sectional areaover and substantially to cover a patients eye,

adapted to be placed and two integral rubber tubes of relatively smallserving as a fluid inlet to the other tube serving as a fluid outlet.

4. A therapeutical appliance as defined in claim 3, having an integralthin rubber web joining the two sides of the flat rubber applicator fora substantial distance and serving to limit distension of theapplicator.

5. A therapeutical appliance as defined in claim 3, made substantiallyentirely of latex rubber.

6. A therapeutical appliance as defined in claim 3 made substantiallyentirely of latex rubber, in which thewalls of the rubber tubes aresubstantially thicker and less distensible than the relatively thinwalls of the applicator.

7. A therapeutical appliance of the type described, comprising twosimilar generally flat and circular thin walled rubber applicators ofrelatively large cross-sectional area adapted to fit over andsubstantially to cover the eyes ofa patient, an integral rubber tube ofrelatively small cross-sectional area communicating with the hollowinteriors of each of two applicators at points upon the peripheriesthereof, said rubber tube being of such length and configuration as tobridge the nose of the patient when the applicators are placed over hiseyes, and two fluid conduits of similar relatively small cross-sectionalarea communicating respectively with the hollow interiors of the twoapplicators at points upon the peripheries thereof which are generallyopposed to the points of communication of the aforesaid integral tube.

8. A therapeutical appliance as defined in claim 7 having thin rubberwebs joining the two sides of each of the flat rubber applicators for asubstantial distance and serving to limit distension of the applicators.

9. A therapeutical appliance as defined in claim 'I in which the twofluid conduits comprise flexible rubber tubes integrally joined to theapplicators.

10. A therapeutical appliance as defined in claim 7 made substantiallyentirely of latex rubber.

11. A therapeutical appliance as defined in claim 'I made substantiallyentirely of latex rubber, in which the two fluid conduits compriseflexible rubber tubes, the walls of which are substantially thicker andless distensible than the relatively thin walls of the applicators.

12. A therapeutical appliance of the type described, comprising agenerally flat and circular thin walled and somewhat distensible hollowrubber applicator adapted substantially to cover a patients eye whenplaced thereover, an integral rubber web joining the two sides of thefiat rubber, applicator for a substantial distance and serving to limitdistension thereof, and two fluid conduits less distensible than thesaid applicator communicating with the interior thereof so as to directa fluid stream through the interior from one conduit serving as a fluidinlet to the other conduit serving as a fluid outlet.

13. A therapeutical appliance of the type described comprising agenerally fiat and circular thin walled hollow rubber applicator ofrelatively large cross-sectional area adapted to be placed over andsubstantially to cover a patients eye, an integral thin rubber webjoining the two sides of the flat rubber applicator for a substantialdistance and serving to limit distension thereof, and two integralrubber tubes of relatively small crosssectional area communicating withthe interior of the hollow applicator at generally opposed points uponthe periphery thereof so as to direct a fluid stream across the interiorof the hollow applicator from one tube serving as a fluid inlet to theother tube serving as a fluid outlet.

RAYMOND W. ALBRIGHT.

